Israel, with strong U.S. prodding, has said it will allow Palestinians in East Jerusalem to vote in upcoming January 25 parliamentary elections, greatly increasing the poll's chances of taking place.

Drawing on the Aceh peace process that resulted in the Helsinki agreement, this study from the East West Center investigates the possibility of a peace process to resolve the conflict over the political status of Papua vis-à-vis Indonesia. After presenting essential features of the Papua conflict, the study discusses the key actors, explores who should be brought into the peace process, what are the issues of contention, and how they may be packaged for dialogue. It also explores the possible roles of the international community.

The United States Institute of Peace published a report on Palestinian public opinion, concluding that Palestinian public opinion is not an impediment to progress in the peace process, and the Palestinian public has become more moderate. Palestinian willingness to compromise is greater than it has been at any time since the start of the peace process. Increased willingness to compromise provides policymakers with greater room to maneuver.

“Unfortunately, Palestinians cannot pursue the Road Map alone. Implicit in the idea of the Road Map is that Israel and the Palestinians are partners in the journey to peace. Yet the Israeli government has not fully cooperated with my government, created obstacles in the face of a full and unconditional return to the negotiating table, and acted as if Israel can resolve the Middle East conflict unilaterally. In addition, the Israeli government has taken steps that undermine the Road Map.”

“The original timetable of the Middle East ‘road map’—the plan given to Israel and the Palestinian Authority three years ago with the aim of restarting the political process between them—is set to expire at the end of this year. While many, buoyed by Israel's Gaza withdrawal and the emergence of a seemingly more moderate Palestinian Authority, may believe there is still a future for the road map, the fact is that unless it is revised, the plan will serve primarily as a pretext for delay by those who don't want to return to the negotiating table.”